Sheila: Book Reviewer,writer and great lover of books...sharing her wonderful finds of fantastic authors,their books, writing tips, and also other things of interest to her and those following the blog. Thanks for visiting! Follow today and don't miss out on news of great new books and giveaways!

Book Description: In December, 2009, Susan Cox Powell was reported missing from her home in West Valley City, Utah. As law enforcement tried to piece together what had happened to Susan, her husband, Josh Powell, became the only person of interest in the case.
For Jennifer Graves, Josh’s sister, the nightmare started long before Susan’s disappearance. From her experiences growing up in the Powell family to the terrifying moment when she first started to believe her brother was a killer, she relied on her faith to stay strong. She devoted herself to the safety of Susan’s boys, Charlie and Braden, whom she hoped to be able to raise as her own. When the boys were murdered by their father in February, 2012, Jennifer was more than devastated, but she had to believe there was a reason for it all—including the deaths of her beloved nephews.
In A Light In Dark Places, Jennifer shares her struggles and her triumphs. In coming to terms with such tragedy she finally was able to embrace the truth that we all have the power to choose our own path—and there is always hope, no matter how dark things may seem.

Excerpt:

This one is from when I
went to my dad’s house to confront both him and Josh and try to get them to
confess to Susan’s murder. I went in wired with police backup- at my request.
They invited us into dinner when we unexpectedly showed up at their door in WA.

We finished dinner, and Alina
started to clear the dishes. Josh stood up. The time had come. I looked at Kirk
and nodded. He understood and gave me a brief nod in return. I lifted Braden
off my lap and stood up, moving to Josh’s side. I took his arm.

“I wanted to talk to you for a
minute. Let’s go in the other room.” Josh didn’t act terribly surprised by the
question, but my palms were slick with sweat. I wiped them on my jeans as we
walked to the front of the house and went into my dad’s music room. Kirk stayed
in the family room with the boys and tried to keep everyone else’s attention
focused on him.

The music room was filled with an
electric piano, a guitar, a number of microphones, and some recording
equipment. It was cluttered with books and papers covering the desk and the
bookshelves. The door was glass and framed by windows on either side. I closed
the door behind us and glanced around the room, then forced myself to go
forward. Josh leaned against one wall, where he could look out the window and
down the hall toward the family room. I sat in the chair at the desk and
cleared my throat.

“I’ve just been worried. I’ve been
hearing rumors. You know, rumors about you that say you’re going to be arrested
soon.”

There was the slightest bit of a
flicker, and then Josh turned off the emotion again and was cold and calm.

“Where did you hear those rumors?”

“Oh, from reporters and stuff.”

Josh’s eyes were blue, but right
then they appeared black. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but it looked like
they were nothing but pupils, no color at all.

I continued trying soft ways of
getting him to talk. Prodding here and there and watching his eyes all the
time.

“Please, I’m your sister. Confide
in me. I want to believe you. If you would only give me something to go on.”

There was no reaction. That first
startle was his only hint of emotion.

Michael came down the hall, opened
the door and stepped inside. “Are you ready to go pick up the party stuff for
tomorrow?” he asked. Had my dad sent him to intervene? I didn’t care. I had to
keep trying.

“There has to be something more you
can tell me. You know something.” His dark pupils made him look like a stranger.
I rubbed my arms against a sudden chill. “Come on, Josh. I can see it in your
eyes.”

He pushed away from the wall. “We
need to go get the cake,” he said, nodding to Michael. It was a convenient
excuse, and they left the room without looking back at me. I followed behind
them more slowly.

I’d come all this way, endured all
the stress and worry and expense for one purpose—to get a confession out of
Josh. I couldn’t give up now. Josh was standing in the family room near the
bathroom door, waiting for Michael to get his coat. I grabbed Josh’s arm and
half-yanked, half-pushed him into the dark bathroom. Everyone else was still
talking, and the boys were playing loudly. It was too much to hope that no one
noticed what was going on.

“Josh, let’s just cut the crap.
Tell me what really happened. Did you actually go camping? What did you do that
night?”

Josh tried to squirm away, but I
held on tighter to his arm and blocked the door. “My lawyer told me not to talk
about it,” he said.

“That’s crap! I’m your sister.
Don’t pull that lawyer thing with me. Just tell me what happened. Tell me where
her body is. We want to have a funeral and have some closure here. Just tell me
where you put her.” I half expected him to hit me, but instead there was still
no emotion. He didn’t respond in anger. He didn’t respond at all. He shrugged
his arm out of my grasp and pushed past me.

I stayed in the bathroom for a
minute and tried to calm my breathing. My heart was racing, and adrenaline was
pumping through my limbs, but it started to fade all too soon, leaving only
disappointment and shaky weakness in its wake. I heard Josh, John, and Michael
leave the house, heard the front door close. I knew that I wasn’t going to get
any information out of him, but I also knew he was guilty. If someone had
accused me of hurting my husband or my children, I would have punched them at
the very least and kicked them out of my house or something. His lack of
emotion was as telling as a confession to me.

My Review:

Even though I followed this story as it was happening, I was still so emotionally moved as I read, A Light in Dark Places. My heart hurt so much for Jennifer as I read the story of her life. I also felt such empathy for the people who loved Susan Cox Powell and her two boys. So much heartbreak revolves around this true story. A Light in Dark Places is written well and a very compelling read. Even though I knew the outcome of this sad story, it was good to hear Jennifer's side of the story and how her love and faith carried her through this great trial of losing her beloved sister-in-law and her precious nephews. It was also very intriguing to hear many facts that hadn't been shared with the public about the case.

Personally, I remember hoping and praying so long that Susan would be found. We kept seeing her beautiful smiling face on TV radiating with brightness and joy. It was nice to hear in Jennifer's words what a special person Susan really was. This book is a wonderful tribute to Susan and her boys, Braden and Charlie. I really thought I would be totally depressed reading this book. I was so surprised that even though Susan and Jennifer's life stories tugged at my heart, I was left with a feeling of peace and hope that Susan is now with her precious boys in Heaven. Thank you Jennifer for sharing yours and Susan's story.

Praise for A Light in Dark Places:
I just finished reading "A Light in Dark Places" By Jennifer Graves and Emily Gray Clawson. I was impressed with how well written the book was. The descriptions are such that I felt I was part of the story. I was grateful that the message was one of hope and peace in tragedy. The book does tell the tale of Susan Powell, her boys and their demise but doesn't dwell on it. It was nice to see inside the life experiences of someone so close to them and to see things from Jennifer's perspective rather than what you see on the media. I highly recommend this book. It doesn't disappoint! – T. Hyde
I love true accounts of people overcoming challenges and helping others with the lessons learned from them. This story of Jennifer's experiences throughout her abusive childhood, and later the disappearance of Susan and the murder of her two sweet nephews is just that. She shares how she felt God's hand in her life, guiding her to make better choices than the rest of her family did. Though the book had so many sad details, it ended with hope, courage and love. ~D. Raymond
I had followed the story of Susan Powell very closely so I wasn't sure if the book was going to tell me something I didn't already know...but it sure did. Jennifer was very brave in writing this book and all she had done in support for Susan. I highly recommend the book it sheds a light on the whole situation that helps make things more clear. ~ Carolyn
This was a very informative read. I lived in Utah at the time of Susan's disappearance and followed the news every day. This book answered many questions that the news did not. Although it was very sad and I already knew the outcome it was a good read. I admire Jennifer for her part in the whole story and I am glad she had the fortitude to write this book to honor her sister in law. ~Katie O.
To finally read about details that were never shared brought closure for me about this insidious crime. While the book was an easy read, the message shared about breaking the cycle of abusive relationships is invaluable. It truly does take someone removing themselves from their abusive family's presence to stop the cycle. Praises to the author for sharing her perspectives. ~Arlene
Meet the Authors: Jennifer Graves is the mother of 5 beautiful children, 2 girls and 3 boys. She and her husband have been happily married for 19 years and together have been active in their community and church.
Jennifer is the sister of Josh Powell who killed his 2 sons, Charlie and Braden, as well as himself in February of 2012, and is also believed to have killed his wife, Susan Cox Powell, in December of 2009.
She is the recipient of the 2013 ChainBreaker of the year Award, given for breaking the chain of abuse and violence in her family.
She enjoys homeschooling their children and mentoring in classes for the commonwealth school they attend. She also loves reading, playing card and board games, and learning new things. Most of all she loves to spend time with her husband and children. They currently reside in West Jordan, UT.

Emily Clawson is an author, a mother and a mentor. She traditionally writes inspirational fiction. This book has been a life changing experience for her and she is grateful to have been a part of telling this story. She resides in Taylorsville with her husband and four children where they run their leadership mentoring programs for youth.

Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 11/21/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, November 3, 2013

As most people know, I teach 2nd grade. Every year I like to blog about what my current group of 2nd graders are reading. Their reading levels range from Kindergarten-5th grade. Not only is this interesting to my author/writer friends, but also to parents and grandparents wanting to buy presents for kids around the age of 7-9 years old. Keep in mind, many of these books are not new books just published, but many have been out for awhile. So here you go...

Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 1-28
Paperback– Box set

The Magic Tree House books are very popular with this age group. They are set right in the reading level that many 2nd graders are currently on. It also is a great way to get this age group into reading about history in a fun way. I would say I've seen 3/4 of my class reading these books and trying to get through as many volumes as possible.

Yes, Harry Potter. This first book in the series has been showing it's face around my classroom. It may be that I have told them how much me and my own children love this series. They were also impressed when I showed them Deathly Hallows in the library a few weeks back. I told them I read the almost 800 page book in 11 hours and 15 minutes. This seemed to spur many of them on to reading this wonderful series.

This new series is fresh on my students mind because the author came to our school last year. He made a fun impression on them and the fever is spreading about this series. There is a lot to be said for those authors who make school visits and also do them for free. I can tell you that the author and his/her books become a big thing in their minds. They talk about you and your books for a long time. Kids all over school are still talking about J.Scott Savage and his Zombie Rap that he did during the assembly. They can't wait to read the 2nd book in the series.

This familiar series keeps moving along through the classroom. One thing I noticed lately is that more of the girls were reading this than the boys. Not sure why, but just an interesting thing. I love reading fantasy books and have shared that with my students. Maybe the movies has also increased the children's interest, but I'm happy to see them reading the Percy Jackson books.

The Lorax

For those students not yet ready for the bigger chapter books are still loving anything Dr. Seuss. They are drifting towards the longer Dr. Seuss books like The Lorax, Horton Hears a Who etc. Again, maybe the interest here is from the movies made based on these books. They are moving away from Cat in The Hat and towards the books with longer and more meaningful stories.

Though this was only a sampling of what I see my students reading, it can show you what kind of books this age group is liking. They also seem to like to read non-fiction books about animals: girls like books about kittens and dogs, and the boys like reading about Great White Sharks, Dinosaurs and Snakes. Nothing new in this observation right?

The main thing I hope by posting this, is to give you some great ideas to keep your kids reading. They don't have to read these books (Even though they are great!), but make sure they are reading. Turn off the TV, give everyone a book/Kindle/Nook and a quiet spot to read. Let the fun begin! Our children will be smarter, and more imaginative if we make reading a priority in our lives.

Follow" Why Not? Because I Said So "by Email

Author Spotlight: Catina Haverlock and Angela Larkin

PIN it Now!

Follow this blog with bloglovin

Follow me on Pinterest

Would You Like Me to Read and Review Your Book?

Note: Added 7-22-2014...I am suspending any reviews from new authors for a few months. I'll still be open to reviews from authors I've reviewed for previously. I am back logged with reviews and my new school year is starting soon. I will show here on the blog when I'll be accepting new review requests.

I am accepting books for review from authors and publishers. I will read most genres, but I prefer clean romances. I will review books, hold contests and interview authors; just explain in your e-mail about the particulars . Please contact me here at WhyNotBecauseISaidSo@gmail.com

Google+ Followers

My Recent Reads...

First off, I just loved the cover the first time I looked at it. It truly grabs your attention! Christy’s husband designed it and he did a fabulous job.
Awakening has a fantastic lead character in McKayla. She is a very bright and bold ...

This Dystopian novel is one that really shook me up. There is a lot of deep thinking going on for the reader. We first meet 16 year old Silas who is running the race of a lifetime-literally. The outcome of this race will determine “who” ...

I have read the first nine books in the series, and I have really liked all of them. Main character Sadie Hoffmiller is someone I could be good friends with. After reading all of the books in the series, you do feel like you are back wi...

Wanted is another phenomenal book written by Author Kathi Oram Peterson. I have never been disappointed with anything I have read from this author. She knows how to immediately draw you into the story and never lets the storyline drag. Y...

This book is part of Shadow Mountain’s Proper Romance line, which they are marketing as a clean romance line.
Julianne truly knows how to write a beautiful romance. I loved her first published book, Edenbrooke. It was at the top of my fa...